


When Boxes Fall, Feelings Come Out

by lhknox



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Comedy, F/F, Friendship, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Romance, brainy and lena are bffs, idek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-09
Updated: 2018-11-09
Packaged: 2019-08-20 22:12:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16564097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lhknox/pseuds/lhknox
Summary: "“You see, I want to remain friends with this person, but I’m having trouble compartmentalising these feelings, which would be the most ideal solution. I was wondering how you effectively manage to control your romantic feelings for Kara whilst still maintaining a relationship with her.”"or,Lena doesn't know she's in love with Kara Danvers.But Brainy sure does.





	When Boxes Fall, Feelings Come Out

**Author's Note:**

> why yes brainy and lena are bffs  
> why no i didnt have a beta for this bc i wrote it whilst avoiding all my work

Lena’s not sure when an alien became her second best friend in the entire world, but she’s sure her mother is rolling over in her grave because of it.

 

(Granted, her mother isn’t dead, just dramatic enough to dig a grave and roll around for a bit because her daughter has disappointed her one too many times.)

 

Her friendship with Brainy is nothing like her friendship with Kara. Her friendship with Kara is burgers and long talks and filled with feelings Lena only lets loose when sitting on her pristine white couch with the world’s most perfect human, Kara Danvers.

 

Her friendship with Brainy is silence-filled science labs and tinkering with budding technology and occasionally trying to mess with the space-time continuum. They don’t talk about feelings a whole bunch because feelings go into boxes and the boxes are piled high and locked away and Lena is glad she’s found someone who doesn’t look at her like she’s crazy for saying that. Spending time with Brainy is a breath of fresh air, somebody just as smart as she is who doesn’t force her to talk through her feelings like everyone else in her life.

 

Brainy is the guy Lena imagined she’d marry when she was younger - a quiet partner who would exist in the same space as her and let her work to her heart’s content. Obviously, that was back before she knew she was a lesbian. But still, she imagines that if it were 1923 and she was to be forced into a loveless marriage with a man, Brainy is the decent-looking man she would’ve chosen.

 

The more time they spend together, the more they begin to chat. 

 

“I just do not understand the human obsession with baseball. It makes no sense that the most popular American pastime is a sport in which statistics and averages make up such a large part. Not to mention, it’s incredibly boring.”

 

“Yes, Lena, as stated previously, I agree with your baseball dilemma.”

 

Their talk is idle, a small comfort in the midst of the stressful lives they live. 

 

Until it isn’t.

 

“Lena,” Brainy says as he enters her workshop. “I have a question I would like to ask you.”

 

Lena doesn’t even look up from the soldering she’s doing.

 

“Sure, Brainy, go ahead.”

 

“How would one go about having romantic feelings for a person with whom one worked?”

 

“You in love with me or something?” Lena jokes.

 

“No. You are, as they say, not my type.”

 

“Can’t you go ask Alex? You know I’m not good with emotions. Boxes, remember?”

 

“You see, I want to remain friends with this person, but I’m having trouble compartmentalising these feelings, which would be the most ideal solution. I was wondering how you effectively manage to control your romantic feelings for Kara whilst still maintaining a relationship with her.”

 

Lena’s hand slips, and she almost burns her left hand.

 

“My  _ what  _ for Kara??”

 

Brainy furrows his brow. “Your romantic feelings for her. Have I misconstrued something?”

 

“Why would you think I have romantic feelings for Kara.”

 

“Well whenever she’s around your cheeks flush, you sustain eye contact with her for far longer than you do anybody else with whom I’ve seen you interact. Your heart rate increases, and you gain a slight hand tremor, I assume from nervousness. Not to mention on one occasion when you weren't wearing a bra, and your nip-”

 

“Do  _ not  _ finish that sentence, I swear to god.”

 

“You don’t believe -- Oh, a figure of speech. Gotcha.”

 

Lena massages her temples, trying to offset the oncoming migraine.

 

“Brainy did you mention any of this to Kara?”

 

“Of course not--”

 

“Thank god.”

 

“-- I asked Kara about  _ her  _ feelings for  _ you _ .”

 

Lena think she might faint or throw up or be one of those people who manages to spew and shit their pants at the exact same moment and  _ then  _ pass out.

 

“Kara’s what?”

 

“Kara’s own feelings. She reacts to you largely in the same way you do to her, though I must say I’ve never seen her without a bra… You’ve never noticed this?”

 

He asks it as though it’s the most obvious thing in the world.

 

“No, I’ve never noticed any of those things about Kara.”

 

“But you’re a high level intellect who has proven analytical high social skills. You’ve never noticed any of those things when interacting with Kara?”

 

“No, I didn’t,” Lena says through gritted teeth. 

 

“Oh.” Brainy says. “This must be what Alex called your ‘lesbian stupidity.’”

 

It’s official. Brainy has killed her. Killed her and spat on her corpse. Because of course he’s also talked to Alex about all of this.

 

She stands from her stool and walks passed Brainy, shutting the door behind her. She’ll apologise later, of course, for being rude, but for now she needs to figure out her own thoughts.

 

Because truth be told, until Brainy had blatantly told her that she’s in love with Kara Danvers, Lena hadn’t realise what she had been feeling. But now, it’s like a light has flickered to life in her brain and her heart is saying “fucking finally”. 

 

Lena loves Kara.

 

Lena is in love with Kara.

 

And it makes more sense than anything else in the knowable universe.

 

Of course she’s in love with Kara Danvers. Of course. The way her heart races, the way she feels as though a day without speaking to Kara is a day wasted. The way she would die for Kara without a moment’s hesitation. The fact she would do literally anything within her power to make sure Kara is always safe and happy. These are not the feelings of friendship, these are feelings of love.

 

The boxes begin to topple, and Lena is caught in an avalanche of feelings and realisations, trapped beneath the weight of her own emotions.

 

By the time she gets back to her office, in dire need for a hard drink, Kara is already sitting on her couch. Lena stops in the doorway.

 

“Eve let me in,” she says, “I hope that’s okay.”

 

Lena shuts the door behind her. “Of course.”

 

She sits down beside Kara, far enough away to give them both space, close enough that she can smell Kara’s perfume and feel pathetically dizzy with just her presence.

 

“I spoke to Brainy,” Kara says.

 

“So did I.”

 

“Ah.” Kara pauses, and Lena’s heart drops. Did Kara sound upset? Regretful? Apologetic? And then--

 

“I want.” She pauses again. “I need to try something.” 

 

Lena is deathly still, refusing to move an inch, not wanting to scare Kara away.

 

(She knows Kara’s not a pigeon but Lena  _ is not taking chances. _ )

 

Kara moves closer to Lena, their thighs touching. And then she leans in, the space between them becoming smaller and smaller. Kara’s lips hover just in front of Lena’s and Lena thinks she might be going insane because there’s no fucking way this is happening. The miniscule gap between them crackles with electricity, a tension stronger than Lena has ever felt before.

 

And then - just as Lena thinks she can’t take it anymore - Kara kisses her. She kisses her like a soldier about to leave their partner for an indefinite amount of time. It’s desperate and it’s filled with love and it’s trying to convey more than words ever could. 

 

Finally - all too soon - they pull apart, and Lena misses Kara’s touch instantaneously.

 

“Wow,” is all Lena is capable of saying. “Wow.”

 

“Everyone knew we loved each other, except us.”

 

Lena laughs. “Well, you always did love romantic comedies.”

 

Kara shakes her head. “This isn’t a comedy, though. This is tragic. We’ve wasted so much time.”

 

Lena shrugs. It’s not often she gets to be the upbeat one in their relationship.

 

“But now we have all the time in the world, if you want us to.”

 

Kara bites her lip, and Lena has a hard time not kissing her again.

 

“I know everything’s complicated,” Lena says, trying to reassure her, “we both live busy lives and have high pressure jobs--”

 

Kara snorts.

 

“-- but I want to give this a chance. I’m tired of not giving myself the option of feeling things. If I’m being honest with you, you’re all I’ve ever really needed.”

 

“Really?” Kara’s voice is quiet and it almost breaks Lena in two.

 

“If you don’t believe me,” Lena smiles, “maybe we can have Brainy explain it to you.”

 

Kara laughs and Lena can’t hold back anymore. She leans forward and kisses Kara again, melting into her touch.

 

And she makes a mental note to thank Brainy when she next has a chance.

 

But for the foreseeable future she’ll be busy with Kara.

**Author's Note:**

> find me @ murdershegoat on tumblr


End file.
